Why did the founder of Protestant Christianity say Reason is the enemy of faith

“Reason is a wh*re, the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.”
--Martin Luther, Protestant reformer

RE: Why did the founder of Protestant Christianity say Reason is the enemy of faith

Because he is correct

A man blames his bad childhood on leprechauns. He claims they don't exist, but yet still says without a doubt that they stole all his money and then killed his parents. That's why he became Leprechaun-Man

RE: Why did the founder of Protestant Christianity say Reason is the enemy of faith

(03-03-2014 07:50 AM)Monster_Riffs Wrote: Because he is correct

Aye. One core tenet of christianity is that all answers come from God. These answers are either given through the Bible, or (as the priests would prefer) from "interpretations" given by clergy. Many times, these answers rely on blind faith and trust. When someone uses reason, they will often come to a different conclusion than the pre-approved religious conclusion. This must be avoided. Clergy can't have the masses figuring stuff out on their own. What would they need the church for?

Reason and logic gave us the scientific method, which as been contradicting religious doctrine since we first started using it. This is why you see such a push back against science among believers. When you start out with the conclusion that all things come from God and are under his control, any evidence that says otherwise is by definition, blasphemous.

Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up.

"Let me give you some advice, bastard: never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister

RE: Why did the founder of Protestant Christianity say Reason is the enemy of faith

This seems more at home in the Atheism and Theism section than History, just saying...

But the quote is right in the reason doesn't lend itself to the spiritual, it denies it.

The people closely associated with the namesake of female canines are suffering from a nondescript form of lunacy.
"Anti-environmentalism is like standing in front of a forest and going 'quick kill them they're coming right for us!'" - Jake Farr-Wharton, The Imaginary Friend Show.

RE: Why did the founder of Protestant Christianity say Reason is the enemy of faith

Because it was true, as several members have said. What intrigues me is that he saw the problem clearly, yet failed to break through to the obvious corollary. Faithheads have to be masters of self-deception.